Person:John Kempson (2)

John Kempson was baptised on Christmas Day 1811 at Totternhoe in Bedfordshire, son of Rebecca Kempson, formerly Turnham, and her husband George Kempson. John was baptised on the same day as his brother David. Given that there was less than two years since George and Rebecca's previous child's baptism, John and David were probably twins.

John's mother Rebecca died in 1833. John's father remarried in 1835, and went on to have several children with his second wife who were considerably younger than John.

On 19th November 1836, when he was about 25, John married a Mary Hewlett at Totternhoe. They had one son, Thomas, born in 1838. The 1841 census finds John, Mary and young Thomas living in Totternhoe, with John working as an agricultural labourer.

John died in 1844, aged 32, being buried at Billington, close to Totternhoe where he'd spent most of his life. Mary survived John by over 45 years, and remarried in 1845. When John died his father and step-mother were expecting another baby, whom they would call John.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Church of Totternhoe. Parish register transcripts, 1559-1812.

   ch. 25 Dec 1811: J[oh]n s[on of] Geo[rge] & Reb[ecca] Kemson

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 5; Book 36 part 2; Folio 7; Page 9, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   John Kempson, male, 30 [1806-11], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Mary Kempson, female, 30 [1806-11], born in county
   Thomas Kempson, male, 3 [1837/8], born in county

3.   Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. John KEMPSON, June Quarter 1844, Leighton Buzzard Registration District, Volume 6, page 54, aged 32 [1811/12]

4. ↑ England. National Burial Index.

   bur. 25 May 1844, St Michael & All Angels, Billington, Bedfordshire: John Kempson, aged 32 [1811/2]

   Billington at this time was a chapelry in the parish of Leighton Buzzard; it would not become a separate parish in its own right until 1866.